Her Doctor
by EllieRoberts
Summary: Isobel is still trying to decide whether to marry Merton or not...Drama ensues - Isobel/Richard Clarckson
1. Chapter 1

Isobel Crawley was neither a teenager nor an athlete yet she could swear she walked, or rather, stampeded to the hospital with record velocity. She was chatting with Lord Merton outside the church after service, her head wasn't quite in the conversation and she was surprised the gentleman did not take offense at how distracted she was, given that he was still waiting for an answer to his proposal.

She noticed Dr Clarkson's absence – true he was not a 'church every Sunday' kind of man but something did not feel quite right in her stomach. Her gut was, as per usual, right. Two nurses were chatting right behind them and one let slip that she had to go as they had an 'all hands on deck' situation "what with the doctor being ill".

Isobel quickly and rather rudely abandoned her almost fiancée at the church and made a run for the hospital. It couldn't be! They were having luncheon and the dowager house just a couple of days before –he looked good! Really good…- hold on Isobel this is not a healthy thought.

She was still chairman of the board so nobody made a fuss when she made a beeline to the nurse in charge and demanded to see doctor Clarkson.

"Oh, I'm afraid he's not too well . We found him with quite a high fever and sweating bullets this morning in his office cot. is coming to cover today but we don't know exactly what it is."

"Where is he?"

The nurse pointed to the bed at the far end of the hospital. What she found made her gasp, literally. Her beloved doctor lay there with his shirt open, clearly not breathing well, covered in sweat. She sat by his side, rinsed a cloth in the water and wiped his brow as he murmured in his sleep…she did not think it would be this bad and she did not need Dr. Bolt to tell her it was an infection in the lower respiratory system. She did not know if it was bronchitis or pneumonia – she had to wait till he coughed and woke up to discover more but as a single tear ran down her cheek, she sent up a prayer begging God not to take the last man she'd ever love.

She caressed the side of his face. How could he be this bad? She knew he had been treating some children in the village with bronchitis but he was always careful. Careful…he was the careful one.

She was brave, fearless, idealistic and downright feisty but she was all of those things because she had him. Her counterpart and often partner in crime, he was her best friend and the other side of the coin. He was anything but volatile – he was stable, calm in every crisis he was the anchor keeping her down to earth when her head was taking her into outer space he was logical almost to a fault and he was absolutely indispensable to her life.

She would get him through this, she simply had to.


	2. On the other side

Richard Clarkson opened his eyes and covered them quickly as he realized he was lying in a field with the sun shining brightly on him. He looked down to see he was not wearing his usual suit, rather a shirt and trousers as he did in his youth when he help his father with the horses back in Scotland. Hold on a second…he did feel younger; he touched his upper lip – no moustache. He looked down at his arm and stood up. The scar he got from the war was gone, his hair was longer and more auburn rather than silvery blonde and there were sheep and shepherds cursing them in Gaelic as they were reluctant to leave the grass they were feasting on.

"Won't your ma be waiting for you lad?" It was John, he was the Clarkson's nearest neighbour as there was only a fence separating his farm from their stables and was like a father to him as he grew up. But he was dead and so was his mother! Was he dead too? Is this the afterlife?

John chuckled as if he was reading his mind. "No son." He said "You're not dead, folks don't cuss there but you're getting awfully close and I don't think it's a fine idea."

Richard started to follow him when he started to walk away when a familiar voice caused him to turn back.

"I don't think you should do that leanbh… " The feminine voice belonged to a blonde woman with long hair, fair skin and big blue eyes that resembled his. She was his mother. She was wearing a white long dress and smelled like roses as she always did when she was alive.

"It is not your time yet my baby…" she caressed his face and smiled gently as she saw the purse of his lips before he started to protest.

"But ma I don't have a reason to go back! I'm an old man and the woman I love is about to marry somebody else!"

"No she isn't. I know you think that but she is not."

"Ma, she is! He's a lord and she always said those things don't matter to her and I believed her for a time but of course it matters. He's powerful and well-read and he's offering her a position. He proposed."

"Don't you think she'd have accepted by now if she wanted him?"

"I don't know but maybe it's best that she does."

"Maybe it's best you wake up and tell her not to make the biggest mistake of her life. She's a free soul, Rick and the system into which she's considering to marry will break her. And you know I'm right!"

"Ma….Ma?" The woman was disappearing before his very eyes and he had so much to say to her. He wanted to go with her.

"Not yet my love…" she kissed him on the forehead like she used to when he was a child and left him.

I know Richard's mom is never mentioned in DA but I would like to know what you think - please review :)


	3. Mind Palaces

Richard was walking a path he found at the edge of the field when he heard a girl's cry. The doctor in him was to see if anybody was hurt but he could not see where the cry was coming from so he ran down the path until he ended up in front of a building. It was old and looked like it was just about to fall down the front was made up of metal bars in the first storey and grey bricks as it went up.

There was a girl behind the bars and she was alone… she looked young like him, long honey coloured hair and big, brown, beguiling eyes which were full of tears. She was wearing what looked like a ball gown only It was dirty, torn and looked more like a trap than a garment. And yet she seemed familiar.

"Richard…" she sobbed as she looked at him. She was on the floor, curled up with one hand clutching one of the bars which were holding her prisoner. It was her left hand, and there was a wedding band and an engagement ring. She must be married…Christ in heaven. She was Isobel!

"Isobel?" he asked running to her, checking the bars to see if any one of them would budge to set her free. She was sobbing her heart out. "How did you end up in here?"

"I got married!" she cried "It was beautiful at first…I thought I was in a fairy-tale everything was covered in gold and glitter . Dickie was good and kind to me…he still is - but I cannot get out, it's killing me."

"Lord Merton brought you to prison?" asked Richard, horrified.

"No I brought myself here by marrying him this is not just a prison of metal and bricks Richard. It's a systematic prison! It breaks your spirit and numbs your mind with boredom and it drives you mad – please help me Richard I'm going mad…" her voice was hoarse from crying, her head resting with a bar exhausted from all her efforts to set herself free.

"Where is that bastard? I'd like to speak to him." Growled Richard.

"Don't you understand?! He is not here, this is our minds Richard! He still is and will always be in his golden palace with his new bride. But she's not me any more she's become dull, compliant and somebody completely different from the woman you came to know."

She put her hand in his through a gap between the metal bars and a tear fell on their joined hands. "I'm so sorry Richard…how could I do this? I'm so sorry…"

He put his other hand to her red cheek, wet with tears. "We have to find a way to get you out of here Belle we need to figure out a way…we will I promise." He was calm for her but inside he started to panic – she married him... how could he get her out?

He looked around to see if there was a big enough rock for him to use to try and beat one of the bars down...one of them had to give in damn it!

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><p>I would like to hear what you have to say about this chapter, I always believed them to be connected in some way. With sadness I would like to announce that in DA Isobel will accept the proposal. I saw it on the episode 7 spoilers and JF should be ashamed of himself!<p> 


	4. Twilight Zone

Dickie Merton knew something was wrong ever since Isobel threw him off at church last Sunday. He had not seen her since and even though he was fairly certain she would accept his proposal (why wouldn't she?) but it would be really nice if she just would confirm it. Even if she was busy – he did not need long. Just long enough for her to tell him she was going to be his wife! He had to go back to London soon, on business as well as announcing the happy news to his two sons.

What had him uncomfortable was the conversation he had with the dowager countess the previous day during tea. He could not tell whether she was angry at him or felt sorry for him but when he enquired about Isobel's whereabouts she tersely told him she was _very busy_…taking care of someone _near and dear to her heart_.

What did that mean?

He smiled. Isobel was so devoted to her patients – especially children. She was so good with people whereas he was rather awkward. She would make a good wife and he couldn't wait to introduce her to the London upper crust. He would seek her at the hospital; she would maybe tell him what has had her at this patient's bedside for so long…

Back at the hospital Isobel wiped some sweat off her brow. She couldn't believe this, why wasn't her friend getting better? He was strong, very strong not to mention fit. He gave the boys what for when he played cricket, he could paddle a bicycle faster than a motorcar and his current_ shirtless_ state showed that he was still well-defined – Damn, she needed to stop the thought before it went any further – he was sick for Christ's sake!

In all her worry over him not waking up she found the focus to pay attention to each everything he did, his breathing pattern, his temperatures and things he mumbled in his sleep. He called out for his mother…he never told her about his mother than he started mumbling about someone called 'belle'.

Who was this Belle? Was she a sibling or a relative? Was she his friend? Her stomach tightened…what if she was someone he loved? She knew he must have had a life before her, a man like him probably had women falling at his feet as he walked and he could have had anyone he wanted. She had an almost fiancée, why was she bothered by this?

"Belle…" he was in anguish, whoever this Belle was, she was not giving him an easy time. She ran her hand over his forehead to sooth him and to see if his temperature had changed, he whimpered and she rested a hand on his cheek. "It's okay Richard, it will be fine you just have to come back, come back to me." She whispered as a tear ran down her cheek, she kissed the corner of his mouth. Not knowing Dickie Merton had just seen her.

In Richard's twilight zone, things were not going well. He had been hitting the damn metal bar with the rock for what seemed like hours and it was all in vain.

"It's easier than you both think you know." Richard turned around to see Sybil Crawley smiling at him. "Long time no see Dr Clarkson." She giggled as she came closer, noticing the shocked look on his face.

"Lady Sybil-" he started but she lifted her hand up.

"It's Sybil now…class never mattered here. I have come to help you, you cannot be here for long Richard, you're running out of time."

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><p>So Sybil is team Richobel too :D I have tried to be kind to Merton even if he's testing my patience. What do you think so far? Do you think the two Richards should learn some lessons from this?<p>

I would like to thank all those who reviewed so far and with reference to my last AN. I am pleased to say we will be rid of Merton for the next 2 episodes at least ;)


	5. Hurricane

Richard looked at Isobel who looked frightened to death.

"You have to stay with me Richard, you cannot die…" she cried, her hand was pulling him to her through the gap between the metal bars.

"Never Isobel, for as long as you want me, I'll be there." He smiled using his other hand to pull her head closer before he touched his lips to hers. Her face was wet she was still crying and holding his hand but she smelled like lavender and tasted like vanilla and salt from her tears. Also it started to rain and a big crack boomed which split them apart soon enough to see that the building was collapsing, the bars were crushing and if they stayed there they were going to be crushed under it.

"It was that easy! My job is done here… Run!" yelled Sybil who was disappearing before their very eyes.

Richard took Isobel's hand and they ran. They ran for their very existence.

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><p>Dr. Bolt was currently using a new drug called penicillin on his patient – the insistence of a very fiery nurse. The good doctor had demanded that Isobel gave him some time with his patient and went home to shower and to lay down before she collapsed herself.<p>

She had just bathed and was pinning her hair into place when she received a rather anxious visitor. Dickie Merton was waiting for her in the drawing room where he had proposed to her, looking around rather nostalgically. Turning around as soon as he heard her footsteps, he gave her a terse smile and she gestured towards the sofa so they could sit down.

"Shall I ring for tea?" she offered, her tiredness just catching up with her.

"No…thank you." The gentleman fidgeted with his hand before taking a deep breath. "Look Isobel, I came here for one reason and one reason only. I'm setting you free…the proposal, you coming to London, it's all right. You don't have to do it any more."

Isobel gasped, he was cancelling their almost engagement. She had to admit she was kind of getting used to the idea before Richard got ill but now she was so confused!

"May I ask why?" she tilted her head to one side, looking at the window behind him.

"Please Isobel, the last thing I want is for you to get hurt. Believe me this is one of the hardest things I've ever done but you know and I know that your heart is right here at Downton. With your family, your grandchild and your… friends." The last word was spilled rather bitterly .

"You would have been unhappy with me in London and that would have made _me _unhappy – it would have been selfish of me to have gone on with it like that. So you see, better now while few people know."

He rose to leave at that point and she stood up with him, he kissed her cheek and whispered "Goodbye Isobel Crawley."

Took his hat from the coat hanger by the door and left a shook yet somewhat relieved Isobel Crawley in his wake.

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><p>At hospital thing were going in the right direction. Richard had woke up and threw up a lot of bile which according to Dr Bolt was a good sign and his fever was somewhat breaking. His sleep was less fitful and his colour was a bit better.<p>

"I don't know what the deal is between you and nurse Crawley, Richard but she's been damn near miraculous to you. You wouldn't have made it so far without her help and believe me you have a long recovery ahead." Chuckled the dark eyed man, running his hand through his salt and pepper hair before jotting down the last note on his friend's chart .

"Old tug boats like us usually don't survive at all but you've kept yourself fit and a wonderful woman by your side – are you sure she's not your wife? You should have seen the way she was bossing us all around…"

Richard rolled his eyes but he could not help smiling, imagining a rampant Isobel running in his hospital, guns blazing "She's kind of a spit fire!" He grinned to his colleague.

"Where is she anyway?" he asked, eyes darting around for the navy blue dress she usually wore when nursing.

"I managed to peel her off your bedside and sent her home to shower and sleep. She'll be here before you know it, rest assured." Earnest Bolt was not what people would call 'soppy' but he was convinced there was something between his old school pal and the spit fire nurse. He asked for her instead about his own condition, the old Richard would have never done that.

Hearing familiar, determined steps he looked up to see nurse Crawley making her way towards him. She looked like she slept but not too much and there was something else only he could not put his finger on what it was. Either way, he was not going to stand in the way of a hurricane.

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><p><strong>AN: And neither should Julian bloody Fellowes! Should he sink this ship, I will be suing him for emotion damages! On the other hand...there is still hope yes people hope - we should have faith in our ship in bad weather as well as good and apparently, although Isobel accepted the proposal they are not going to get married in DA - so lets just wait. <strong>

**In any case, please review let me know what you think about this chapter (you can also go on a Richobel ramble - I'm with you and it's therapeutic!) **


	6. Who is Belle?

For someone who was proposed to and refused in a span of a few weeks, Isobel Crawley was quite cheerful. Her mind seemed to be occupied a lot these days, mainly with a doctor of Scottish birth with calming blue eyes and silvery blonde hair… God if the dowager could read her mind now – she'd have a field day! But quite frankly she did not give tuppence, not when she was heading to a certain rather large cottage in the outskirts of the village. She never knew how the good doctor lived but since the stubborn man decided to come home prematurely because he was sick of his nurses seeing him in bed Isobel and Bolt have been taking care of him. Bolt visited him every evening and left Isobel in charge for the rest.

Eyes were being rolled a lot but there were also tender looks and shy smiles, Richard was getting better. Bolt was sure that it was partly because he was at home and was comfortable in his own environment and partly because his friend was being cared for by a woman he clearly had feelings for. He couldn't help tease the fellow doctor about nurse Isobel which earned him a couple of good laughs along with a couple of snarls from his friend, still, Bolt was a good doctor and was sure that as long as he carried on that way, Richard would pull through which was a miracle to say the least when he saw the same disease taking children and much younger people.

As he thought about this, he heard the cottage door being opened and footsteps coming upstairs as he wrapped the stethoscope and put it in his bag. It could not be the maid as she had already left after making them breakfast so there was only one person left…as if by magic, Isobel Crawley appeared like a vision in a crisp white blouse and a burgundy skirt and hat – she had probably left her jacket downstairs. "Good morning Dr Bolt!" She chirped as she tied an apron with bow on her back.

"Good morning Mrs. Crawley. Just in time! I was just leaving to start my rounds at the hospital. Richard is sleeping, you saved his life getting me to use penicillin. Bacterial pneumonia is a heck of a hurdle but he's fit, he has excellent care and he should pull through but please make sure he drinks. I know he just wants to rest and is never hungry or thirsty but dehydration is the last thing we need right now… " at this, Bolt saw Isobel's eyes flash and jaw being set. Spitfire Isobel, as Richard called her, was back.

"I will make sure of that doctor, don't you worry. Anything else?" she asked, looking like a soldier going for battle. Richard was a lazy and stubborn patient.

"Yes see if he's spilling less or more bile and check his temperature constantly. He's stable but call me at the hospital at once if anything changes." At her nodding, he sighed.

"Look I know he's not much company when he's sick but he's one of the best men and doctors I know and he likes you…I mean truly likes you – take care of him." He said before grabbing his bag and tipping his hat before leaving. Isobel blushed, she knew there was something between her and the doctor she considered one of the closest people to her but now his friend picked up on it and she did not know how to deal with it.

She came into the bedroom just as Richard was waking up, she was so happy to see him awake. She smiled and went straight to pour him a glass of water. "Good morning" she chirped passing him the glass.

"Morning…" he grunted, not taking the glass from her hand until she arched a brow – not wanting to do battle with her, he took it and drank...he could not tell her how happy he was to wake up with her in his house, in his bedroom.

"How are you feeling ?" she asked sitting by the side of the bed, putting her hand on his forehead to check his temperature, almost caressing him as she pulled away.

His eyes sparkled with humour and his brogue came out more than usual in his hoarse voice "Like I have just been decked by a sumo wrestler." He smirked making them both laugh as she adjusted the pillows so he could sit up. His laughing cause him to cough and she rubbed his back, her hand lingered on his smooth skin when he stopped coughing and the could both feel the electricity from the contact.

'Damn Isobel you cannot find him funny and charming when he's sick' she thought to herself 'And most importantly, you cannot find him attractive. You just came back from a botched engagement for God's sake!' But his hair was so soft she wanted to run her hands through it, his chest and stomach and chest were well defined Dr Bolt was right when he said Richard was fit. He had scars, presumably from the time he went to war in South Africa. She wanted to ask him how he got them, he was a doctor, a kind handsome man who just wanted to help people. Who would want to hurt him?

Richard looked at the vision in his room, he loved it when she wore those white blouses that looked like they've been made from the finest silk and those long skirt which emphasized her great figure and the honey tones in her hair. He often wondered how was it that she always smelled of lavender, what it would be like to touch her, run his hand through her hair but he wouldn't dare do it. They were together in this blissful bubble for as long as he would be feeling this miserable – which was the only downside of things. But she was touching him caressing him and he never wanted it to end.

She looked thoughtful for a minute and then…"Richard, who is Belle?"

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><p><strong>So there we go, road to recovery. What do you think about this chapter? Was I right to get Richard's old friend in the mix? <strong>

**Meanwhile...I am waiting for the next DA episode where Mertobel will be blown to smithereens (see Penelope's interview) and hopefully we'll be back on track - the Richobel one! Bring it!**


	7. Final chapter

"Richard who is Belle?"

She tilted her head to the side as she always did when she got curious about something, her look expectant for an answer, her stature showing a bit of trepidation. "You kept saying her name while sleeping when you were at the hospital."

Richard swallowed hard – had he been drinking, he would have choked. And just how the hell was he supposed to answer that? How did she know – was she really a mind reader? He was genuinely tense, he couldn't not be honest with her. That was not who he was that was not what _they_ were. Their relationship thrived on the fact that they treated each other as equals and were always honest with one another not matter what the issue was, even in disagreement.

He also knew, however, that this piece of truth could either push them closer or apart. It was awkward telling the woman he had been having feelings for during the last decade that he was delirious about her when afflicted with illness. Still, truth will out. He forced himself to look her in the eye and took her hand into his before taking a deep breath.

"It's you. Belle was you…it's a shortening of your name. I was having a dream I would rather not divulge into as I can barely understand it myself but you were there."

There was a long silence before her eyes sparkled with hope.

"Was it a happy dream?" she smiled.

He shook his head and her faced crumbled as she tried to extract her hand from his but he held on tighter "It was a weird and bewildering dream which got very dark at one point but did not end all that badly…because of you." He gave her the half smile she loved so much, the one saying 'I know something and you don't!'

Isobel looked at him again inquiringly. She was curious as to what happened in this blessed dream that made him smile like that, she could barely contain her delight at knowing he had been dreaming of her – even if it was a dark hour for both of them. She spent whole days not knowing whether she would lose him or not and by God she could not stand it. Doctor Bolt was a fine man but she almost killed him when he wouldn't give her any answers.

Outside was dark with a storm coming in on Downton and the wind whistled outside the only light was coming from the lamps in the room and the fireplace. Richard's voice was still hoarse and his brogue was emphasized even more when he continued.

"You were shall we say, very close to me. Closer than you currently are."

She stood up from her chair by the side of the bed and, never letting go of his hand sat down right beside him, her thighs touching his leg as she put her other hand on his neck and leaned in. Sensing her invitation, Richard looked at her big brown eyes and nodded before touching his lips to hers. She tasted like cinnamon tea and honey and he could not believe this woman who was quite far up above him was kissing him in his bedroom. He put an arm around her pulling her to rest against him on the bed.

Thunder struck and she pulled away in fright, the both smiled shyly before he pulled her to him again.

"You know I actually like it…" she said smiling up at him putting her hand on his chest.

"Oh me too, darling." He laughed.

"No not the kissing – although, I truly enjoying it. I was actually referring to your nickname for me."

"Belle?" he smiled down at her not knowing how she loved his voice when his accent was so thick.

"Yes it's something only you can call me…" It was something that was to be just about the two of them, her first husband was never one for nicknames but this handsome doctor just kept surprising her at every turn.

"I could only do that when we're alone though…"

She grimaced, "Oh, you're right." She sighed playing with the top button on his open pyjama shirt.

"We would have to be married for me to call you that publicly…" he knew he was risking big for the second time but the way she lifted her head and looked at him was giving him hope and making his heart beat at train speed.

"Yes I suppose so." She said swallowing hard, her stomach had butterflies. Could it be she was getting a second chance? She wondered as she saw him lean over to take a small box from the top drawer of his side table.

"What do you say Belle…will you marry me?" he opened the box to reveal a beautiful ring, a sapphire – colour of his eyes surrounded by little diamonds.

"Of course!" she said tears rolling down her cheeks with happiness "Of course I'll marry you darling…" she cried before putting her wet lips to his clutching at his shoulders, kissing him soundly.

When they were both breathless he took the opportunity to slip the rind onto her finger and grinned. "You'll be my belle now."

She arched a brow mischievously "Maybe, but you're always going to be my doctor." She whispered before his lips were on hers again.

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><p><strong>AN: This is a message to the crew of HMS Richobel...Iceberg mertobel has just been shot in the face by a big canon from the mainland. It has sunk and joined the choir invisible... complimentary champagne and chocolate treats will be offered to all of those who decided not to abandon ship during hard times. We are now heading to Canon port. Thank you *puts megaphone in place* <strong>

**Okay so that was that - crisis averted. As this was the final chapter in this story, I would love to hear what you thought about this chapter and the story as a whole , constructive criticism also allowed :) **

**If you have time please take a look at my other richobel story called "Of great tiffs and small paws" where fluffiness ensues ;)**

**Thank you to all of those who followed and reviewed for accompanying me during the therapeutic voyage - hope to see you in the other one :D**


	8. UPDATE

This story has an update! It's called 'His Isobel' - Enjoy :)


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